Stage Craft Festival, Reading

Stage Craft Festival, South Street Arts Centre, South Street, Reading

The Stage Craft Festival made a triumphant return this year under new stewardship, with Andy from Dolphin Brewery taking the reins and delivering a vibrant, well-curated celebration of craft beer at the ever-charming South Street Arts Studio in Reading. While this wasn’t the venue’s first brush with beer festivals, the rebranded Stage Craft Festival stood out as a polished and passionate showcase of the independent brewing scene.

Spread across three sessions (Friday evening and two on Saturday), the festival made smart use of the venue’s layout. The main theatre space hosted the majority of the breweries, with taps flowing and brewers chatting enthusiastically with guests. A smaller studio space acted as a chill-out area with plenty of seating, while the arts centre’s usual bar was also in operation, providing yet another space to savour the beer and soak in the atmosphere.

The TWICB team arrived for the Saturday evening session already well-lubricated from a pre-festival visit to Two Flints Taproom in Windsor—and we weren’t alone in our enthusiasm. The place was buzzing. Music filled the space, laughter flowed freely, and the sense of community that defines the UK’s craft beer scene was on full display.

The festival’s brewery line-up was nothing short of impressive. From national favourites like Pomona Island, Rivington Brewing Co, Little Earth Project, and Sureshot Brewing, to newer names like Makemake and Bang The Elephant, alongside local legends Dolphin Brewery, Siren Craft, Phantom Brewing, and Foible Barrelled, there was no shortage of quality.

This was a pay-as-you-go event (cashless only), and the £16 entry fee included a well-designed branded glass—an ideal souvenir and vessel for the night’s discoveries. The beer list leaned traditional in some areas—especially with a noticeable tilt toward sours—but there was still an excellent selection of IPAs, stouts, DIPAs, and even a few GF and AF options for those who needed them.

Among the highlights: Phantom Brewing’s P is for Peacherine, a juicy, fruit-forward DIPA that impressed with both balance and punch, and Rivington’s OED, a brooding, complex whisky barrelaged imperial stout that stole the show for many. Both were perfect examples of UK craft at its finest.

Two food vendors outside kept hunger at bay—one dishing up satisfyingly indulgent Detroit-style square pizzas, and the other serving wraps and loaded fries. Both were ideal beer companions and kept punters happily fuelled for the evening.

In all, Stage Craft Festival was a well-executed, well-attended, and well-enjoyed event. Friendly faces, great beer, and a thoughtful venue layout made this a standout on the craft beer calendar. We hope it becomes a staple fixture in Reading’s festival scene—and judging by this year’s success, it certainly deserves to be.